Events

The Frank J. Guarini Center on Environmental and Land Use Law brought together a panel of experts to discuss the October 15th Supreme Court decision to review only a narrow issue in an expansive DC Circuit Court decision on greenhouse gas regulation. The group examined the implications of the decision and the general consensus view that it will have little effect on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) authority to regulate climate-altering pollution from both stationary and mobile sources. Also to be discussed are the real-world consequences for greenhouse gas controls, and—in leaving EPA’s endangerment finding in place—the ability for the EPA to proceed with its ambitious program for controlling greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.

Policy Integrity brought together leading practitioners, government officials, and academics for our fifth annual practitioners’ workshop on the federal regulatory process. The workshop was an introduction to economic analysis and its role in the regulatory process, as well as a nuanced look at how the technique is used by federal administrative agencies. This year’s workshop also marked Policy Integrity’s fifth anniversary and the twentieth anniversary of Executive Order 12,866, which serves as the foundation for our work. Watch here.

On Monday and Tuesday, March 18-19, the Institute for Policy Integrity at New York University School of Law and the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis will bring together environmental advocates and attorneys from around the country for a two-day training program on financial issues surrounding investments in coal-fired power plants, export terminals, mines and related coal facilities. Continuing Legal Education credit will be available for attorneys.

In December, the Institute for Policy Integrity will once again bring together leading practitioners, government officials, and academics for our annual workshop on cost-benefit analysis. The early sessions of the day will offer an introduction to economic analysis and its role in the regulatory process to those new to the material or in need of a refresher. The later sessions will take a more nuanced look at the regulatory system under President Obama and what the results of November’s election will mean for government regulation over the next four years.

Cass Sunstein is the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in the Office of Management and Budget, where he oversees the Obama administration’s regulatory agenda. In one of only a few public speaking engagements this spring, Sunstein visited the Institute for Policy Integrity at the New York University School of Law.

Dean Richard Revesz will present “Does Cost-Benefit Analysis Still Matter in a Hyper-Partisan Era: Three Stages in the Life of Cost-Benefit Analysis as a Regulatory Tool.” at Yale University. The event is hosted by the Yale Law School Center for the Study of Corporate Law and the Yale Law and Business Society.

Thursday, April 19, 2012
12:15 p.m.
Sterling Law Building – Faculty Lounge

Fears about the costs of controlling greenhouse gas emissions, including job losses and rising energy costs, have taken on particular importance in light of the global economic slump. A panel of experts, moderated by Institute for Policy Integrity Executive Director Michael Livermore, will discuss what climate change means for our economic future.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, January 10-11, 2012, the Institute for Policy Integrity and the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (an affiliate of the Rockefeller Family Fund’s Power Plant Finance Project) will bring together environmental advocates and attorneys from around the country for a two day training program on financial issues surrounding investments in existing and proposed coal-fired power plants and related coal facilities.

This training will include sessions led by Tom Sanzillo and David Schlissel on the basics of financial analyses, why these issues are important, and what are the key tools for finding information in financial filings.

The Institute for Policy Integrity will bring together leading practitioners, government officials, and academics for our third annual workshop on cost-benefit analysis. The day of sessions will include both introductory sessions providing background on cost-benefit analysis as well as several in-depth panels with leading national experts on the theme of transportation policies and climate change, as well as breakout strategy sessions on a number of issues.

On Thursday, September 15, 2011, Dean Richard Revesz spoke to scholars from Pennsylvania and other leading universities at the Penn Program’s workshop titled Regulatory Breakdown? The Crisis of Confidence in U.S. Regulation. Held at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, the event assessed US regulation in light of its current crisis of confidence.

In his speech, “Does Cost-Benefit Analysis Still Matter in a Hyper-Partisan Era?,” Dean Revesz discussed the continuing importance cost-benefit analysis will have in regulatory matters and the decisionmaking process. He spoke about his work with Policy Integrity in empowering environmental groups to apply economic analysis to their advocacy work and working with clinic students to train them to participate in the regulatory process. Dean Revesz’s speech also covered recent developments in the practice of cost-benefit analysis and possibly opportunities for its expansion. He closed by discussing the potential of cost-benefit analysis to bridge partisan divisions by providing a common ground where all interests are given weight.